Broderick Poole is a Twin Cities-based artist hailing from Saint Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood. He began creating art in grade school, and in 1996, his work was first featured in a national publication—a milestone that fueled his passion for both art and community.
In 2000, Broderick combined his creative talents with his desire to give back by volunteering and mentoring youth. Through his work with various organizations, he sought to inspire students to view the arts not only as a form of expression but as a viable career path.
More About the Artist
With expertise in a broad range of artistic disciplines, Broderick launched Poole Boy Designs, which later evolved into Vintage Poole Art. Over the course of his career, he independently established one of Minnesota’s first streetwear brands and has since assisted more than 100 brands and clients with logo design, handmade patchwork, acrylic paintings, and apparel manufacturing across the Twin Cities and Chicago area.
Broderick’s art draws inspiration from his environment, often depicting landscapes, historical icons, and youth envisioning their limitless possibilities.
Program Offerings
Workshops
An Introduction to Wearable Art
This hands-on program encourages creativity, self-expression, and artistic confidence through fashion-based art. In an introduction to Wearable Art, students will experience the design process by painting custom freehand or stencil designs onto a hat and/or bag.
This program can be booked as a pop-up program.
An Introduction to Creative Characters
Students will design a personal character and create mini outfits inspired by their own traits, attributes, and interests. Using fabric materials and their imagination, they will craft a work of art that expresses their unique identity through fashion.
This program can be booked as a pop-up program.
Residencies
Creative Characters
Creative Characters invites students to explore identity, imagination, and storytelling through a variety of hands-on art experiences. Participants begin by creating self-portrait emojis that capture their personalities, interests, and unique perspectives. Through a playful character dice game, students combine unexpected traits and ideas to invent original characters while building creativity and problem-solving skills.
As their characters take shape, students design interchangeable outfits and accessories inspired by hobbies, interests, and personal style. They then explore fabrics, textures, colors, and patterns, using mixed-media materials to create collages that tell personal stories and express meaningful ideas.
In the final project, students bring their creations to life by combining drawing, collage, textiles, and character design. The result is a one-of-a-kind Creative Character that reflects each student’s imagination, personality, and artistic voice.
Wearable Art
Wearable Art introduces students to the creative world where art, fashion, and self-expression come together. Participants learn the basics of logo design and branding and create a personal logo inspired by their interests, identity, and unique style.
Using their logo as inspiration, students develop an original character and design multiple custom outfits, exploring clothing, accessories, patterns, and creative details. Along the way, they discover the fashion design process, experiment with fabrics and textures, and learn how artists and designers use wearable art to express ideas and tell stories.
In the culminating project, students customize a hat or bag with their own logos, patterns, and artwork using paint markers, stencils, and decorative elements. Each participant leaves with a one-of-a-kind wearable art piece that reflects their creativity, confidence, and personal style.
Teaching Artist Statement
My goal is to educate and guide young people toward careers in the arts while creating opportunities that empower them to succeed. My programs emphasize developing personal practices that foster growth, wellness, and healing.
“I was gonna give up on art, but you really inspired me to do art again. Thank you for that, Mr. Poole”
Student at a library program, Minneapolis
